Capital Equipment News May 2021

SAFETY

Low-level-access scissor lifts can be pushed and, with some models, driven to the next location.

Restoring safety to the jobsite

Ladders and scaffolds have long been the go-to solutions for elevated work – they are simple to transport and don’t cost much to purchase or rent. While they excel in these areas, ladders and scaffolds continue to lag in one major, and potentially costly, area: safety. By Justin Kissinger , marketing manager at Hy-Brid Lifts.

A ccording to data from Liberty Mutual’s 2020 Workplace Safety Index, workplace falls to a lower level led to US$5,71-billion in direct costs to businesses. In fact, these types of injuries land right behind overexertion, the number one cause of workplace injuries. These costs from injuries directly impact profits and result in expensive downtime. These numbers are staggering and one could speculate that a fall from a

ladder or scaffold is not a matter of if it will happen, but rather when. But, like many workplace injuries, most falls can be prevented with the right equipment. Low-level scissor lifts, for example, are compact and lightweight enough to work on finished floors, drive through doorways and take a ride on an elevator, but, most importantly, they enhance safety by leaps and bounds. Operators get a stable platform to stand on while performing work, and railings protect them from falling. So what’s holding some

businesses back from implementing safer alternatives, such as low-level lifts? One word: awareness. Ladders Low-level lifts show up to a jobsite and are ready to go, and one would think ladders do, as well. Setting up a ladder, however, can be more complicated – something many users would never suspect from such a basic tool. From duty ratings to height guidelines, there are several factors to consider when choosing

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